Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw: Everybody's Fool
by SkysongAngelUsedToBeAWarriors
Summary: ONESHOT. Angsty little songfic I made up. WARNING: Major spoilers for Long Shadows and Sunset. And no, I don't hate Squirrel/Bramble. I'm just telling it as it is. I actully like that pairing but I wanted to try an angsty oneshot, so... here we are.  P XD


**Skysong: Hi again! I just randomly thought of this when I was listening to Everybody's Fool, by Evanescence. =P That's the song, by the way. Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Squirrelflight had lived through the Great Journey. She was one of the cats who defeated Sharptooth. She traveled to the mountains to help the tribe with the invading cats. She served her Clan eagerly, and fought in the battle where the sun disappeard. Her life had been full of adventure and battles, but nothing– nothing prepared her for Hollyleaf's speech at the gathering.

"_Leafpool and Crowfeather, yes Crowfeather of WindClan are our parents."_

The words echoed hauntingly in her mind as she wandered aimlessly through the woods. With Brambleclaw and the Clan hating her, she had decided to go for a walk to escape. But that wasn't the only reason. She needed time to think, time to be alone from the prying eyes of the others.

* * *

_Perfect by nature, I come of self-indulgence,_

_Just what we all need, more lies about a world;_

_That never was and never will be,_

_Have you no shame? Don't you see me?_

_You know you've got everybody fooled._

* * *

"Brambleclaw…" she whispered his name dolefully into the night. She should have trusted him with the secret. She _knew _she could trust him, but… Leafpool had told her not to tell anyone about the kits. Now he hated her, and never wanted to see her again.

"Why?" she whispered more strongly, "Why? Oh StarClan, why did you let this happen to me?" her voice rose like a strong wind, echoing through the still night air.

"I trusted you! You… you helped me rescue Leafpool from the twolegs, and led me to the mountains! Where are you now? Answer me!"

Silence only answered the warrior. With her load still excruciating, she continued her absent-minded walk along the forest.

* * *

_Look, here she comes now, bow down and stare in wonder,_

_Oh how we love you, no flaws when you're pretending, _

_But now I know she never was and never will be,_

_You don't know how you've betrayed me,_

_And somehow you've got everybody fooled._

* * *

"I never should have lied about it." She sighed heavily. Suddenly her paws hit the coldness of water. She must have wandered down to the lake in her state-of-mind.

"Hollyleaf…" she murmured the name of her dead adopted kit. "Please forgive me. Your brothers too. I understand why you hate me, but I only wanted what was best for you. Please understand…"

The still, clear lake-water reflected the light of the still-full moon. It was only a few sunrises after the gathering. The one where her secret had been revealed. Just yesterday they had held Hollyleaf's vigil. She had died of a tunnel collapsing. Squirrelflight had known there was more to the story than Lionblaze and Jayfeather had told, but she didn't dare ask. They hated her too.

* * *

_Without the mask where will you hide?_

_Can't find yourself, lost in your lie._

* * *

"Am I to be forever condemned by my lie?" she whispered to the moon. Still, no answer.

_I hate lying, _she thought, still captivated by the moon's beauty. No wonder the gathering was at the full moon.

Squirrelflight shook her head. "No, no. Stop it. I don't deserve to look at something so beautiful."

'_Squirrelflight,' _A voice whispered in the wind. Her ears perked up.

"What is it? Who's there?"

_'Pease, dear Squirrelflight, don't you know we wouldn't abandon you?'_

Squirrelflight hung her head. "I'm sorry, it's just that everyone hates me now. I'm getting used to it."

_'Not everyone.' _

"But… but Brambleclaw does."

* * *

_I know the truth now, I know who you are._

_And I don't love you anymore;_

_It never was and never will be,_

_You don't know how you've betrayed me,_

_And somehow you've got everybody fooled;_

* * *

_'No, he doesn't, dear one, he is only angered by your lack of faith in him.'_

"I… I always trusted him!"

_'Brambleclaw doesn't know that. He only knows that you lied to him about his kits.'_

Squirrelflight felt her chest tighten. "I really messed up there, didn't I?"

_'Mistakes can be undone,' _the voice replied, _'But not if no one does anything about them.'_

Squirrelflight realized the voice was right. Brambleclaw couldn't forgive her if she didn't do anything about it.

"Thank you," she whispered, and stood up still marveling at the night's beauty.

* * *

_It never was and never will be,_

_You're not real and you can't save me,_

_And somehow now you're everybody's fool._

* * *

With a lightened heart, Squirrelflight turned from the lake and headed back to camp.

_I will survive this, _she promised herself, _I will earn Brambleclaw's forgiveness, and I will not submit to the hate of my Clanmates._

With that, she leaped through the undergrowth, back to the inferno that she had created.

* * *

**Skysong: Well? Did I fail epically or not? I finally discovered the horizontal rular thingymabober. It will now be present on Sky of Lightning. Oh, and I have a poll on mah profile too. I will change it as soon as people actually press the VOTE button. XD You know I luv it when you review, right? See ya!**


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